Strings
by fangirlrants
Summary: A recent breakup causes the group to realize what they all really mean to each other. Teenagers and hormones in high school? A dramatic disaster. Senior year? Bring it on. [LUCAYA & RIARKLE]
1. Juvenile Games and Hormones

**Author's Note:** **Hi guys! So, despite the announcement for a cancellation of GMW on Disney Chanel, I have decided to write this fanfic anyway. Besides, I still have hope. Keep supporting GMW to be continued on a different platform!**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy this story. I'm rating it T, although I guess it could be M? It'll be a Lucaya/Riarkle story, perhaps a little cliche too (but who doesn't need a cliche fanfic)! I'm not sure how often I'll update this—I'll try to do it once a week—but who knows? Thanks for your support. xx**

* * *

 **CHAPTER ONE -** ** _MAYA_**

"I still can't believe that you and Lucas actually broke up," Maya said, sitting down in the empty seat next to Riley, as they rode the 6 train to school. Riley and Lucas had been dating since the 7th grade; the only couple that beat them in length of a relationship among the kids was Darby and Yogi. It was almost like the end of an era.

"Yeah, well, it was mutual. We're fine. We weren't getting anywhere romantically, anyway. By the end of it, we weren't even kissing." Riley shrugged. "This is what happens when you're gone for the whole summer, Peaches. Everything changes."

Maya rolled her eyes playfully at her best friend's passive aggressiveness. "Riles, you know it was an opportunity I couldn't miss. A summer internship in Paris at The Louvre? How could I refuse? What kind of artist would I be if I said no?"

"Oh, speaking about Paris, did you find any French boys?" Riley ribbed Maya, earning a giggle from the blonde. "Makeouts on top of the Eiffel Tower? Making love in the City of Love? French boys would probably be the best in bed…"

"Riley!"

"What? Can't a girl be curious?"

"Oh please, I'd only bore you. All of my time was spent with the art—not boys."

Maya watched as Riley shook her head. "Fine, if you're not gonna put yourself out there, then I will. This year—Senior year—I will get you a boyfriend."

* * *

Maya walked through the halls of Abigail Adams High School alone for the first time as a senior. She remembered when she had been a freshmen, and a group of seniors had taught them valuable life lessons. She wondered if she would do the same with her friends. It was weird to think about, but it was also kind of amazing too—they were truly growing up.

She eventually found her locker (which wasn't next to Riley's—Riley had cried when they found out their lockers weren't near each other) and entered to combination to open it. She tossed her books inside, finally relieved from its crushing weight—somehow, Riley had convinced her to sign up for _more_ AP classes this year, and Maya was most certain that she would regret listening to her best friend about halfway through the year.

"Maya!" a familiar voice called out, footsteps approaching her.

She turned around slowly, eyes falling on none other than Lucas Friar's sea-green ones.

"Hey, Huckleberry," she said with a small smile. She wasn't sure what to say due to Riley's vague explanation of their breakup. Whose fault was it? How did it really go down?

Lucas visibly tensed, his rather large muscles tight. "Ah, I guess Riley told you about the breakup."

"You guessed right," she replied lamely.

Lucas frowned slightly. "Maya, it was mutual. You don't have to be mad at me or anything. Riley and I are _fine_. We talked it over. We're good."

"I believe you, it's just that—" her voice trailed off.

"It's just what?"

Maya sighed, she didn't have the energy to fight him. It was only the first day of school, after all. "Promise me that things won't be weird?"

Lucas nodded. "I'd never do anything to hurt you."

* * *

"Look, I think Riley and Lucas will be fine. Isadora and I are okay," Farkle said reassuringly, taking a bite from his apple. The cafeteria was filled with students, all conversing about different subjects. The core six sat together at their usual table in the right corner which was practically reserved for them alone—all four years they had sat there together.

"Although that is true, Farkle, we only dated for a year and a half when we were like 14. We didn't even kiss!" Smackle countered. "Riley and Lucas, on the other hand, probably fuc—"

"Smackle!" Farkle interjected, causing Zay to burst into a fit of giggles. He was still extremely immature at times.

Maya huffed in frustration. "I just don't want anything to change. Too much is changing already."

Their conversation was cut short, however, by a series of whispers all mentioning the same thing—Riley and Lucas broke up. Maya looked up to see what caused this secretive state among the Abigail Adams student body, only to see Riley and Lucas entering the cafeteria on opposite sides of the room. It was like something from TV—wonderfully dramatic. Maya watched as the two friends walked towards their table and sat down.

"Hi Lucas," Riley said casually.

"Hey Riley," Lucas smiled, oblivious to any of the public chatter.

An awkward silence fell over the group.

"Well isn't this swell," Zay finally said, voicing everyone's thoughts.

* * *

In an effort to try and ease the tension, Zay had suggested that they go to the cheerleader's party the following Friday.

When Maya asked Zay about how he found out about the party, he only gave her a wink. Smackle later informed her that Zay was currently having a fling with one of the junior cheerleaders—a sweet (but airhead) red haired girl named Elle. Maya instantly felt sympathy for the poor junior—Zay's suave demeanor was a gift and a curse—she gave them a week at most.

But despite everything, she was actually kind of excited about this party. It was the last first high school party she'd ever have.

So, there Maya and Riley were, ringing the doorbell to the penthouse of some cheerleader's house, anxiously awaiting to party. Riley was confidently wearing a short black dress, while Maya wore a short red dress (which Riley had forced her to wear), feeling self-conscious from all of the skin that was exposed.

A tall brunette girl opened the door. "Welcome to the party. Remember—don't throw up on the carpet, okay?"

Then, they were whisked away into the busy scene.

"Okay, let's split up. You find the others and I'll get us drinks," Riley said without hesitation and disappeared into the crowd.

Maya walked around, biting her lip, eyes scanning the apartment for her friends. She managed to find a flicker of Farkle (who had grown to be 6'1'') and sighed in relief, walking towards the group.

"Hey guys," she said with a smile. "Riley's getting drinks."

"Holy shit, Maya!" Zay said abruptly. "You look sexy."

This earned a few laughs from the rest of the group. Drunk Zay had even less of a filter than sober Zay.

"Maya always looks beautiful," Lucas said casually, taking a sip from his beer.

Maya's cheeks heated up. "I—uh—"

Luckily, she was saved by her best friend. The cheery brunette handed her the drink and greeted the rest of the group. "Let's go play the party game. Everyone's doing it."

* * *

Seven Minutes in Heaven was never a good idea. Maya didn't know why she had agreed to it—it was kind of weird how kids just accepted the fact that two random people went inside a dark closet to do things to each other. High school and hormones never made sense.

It was borderline ridiculous how the party had quieted down and focused on the huge circle of participants in the juvenile game, reacting passionately to each and every one of the turns. Maya swore that the stupid empty beer bottle was like seeing a famous celebrity—everyone was so attentive about where the bottle would land.

The cheerleaders had gone first—on all of their turns, it had landed on Zay. Maya was convinced that Zay had brought a magnet to sway the results in his favor—until he missed the chance to be paired with Clarissa, the cheer captain. Maya knew he had been hoping for the beer bottle to point to him—Zay had had a crush on Clarissa since freshmen year and was consistently rejected—but it instead landed on a very flustered Farkle Minkus.

When returning from his time of Seven Minutes in Heaven, Farkle looked extremely dazed—Maya was sure she saw a fresh hickey on his neck. She couldn't help but notice how Farkle's eyes flickered to check on Riley every so often, almost as if he was worried about her noticing his frazzled state.

Then, Smackle had gone in with Cornchip Dave. When they returned, Dave was drooling and Smackle flipped her hair with a smirk, walking back into the circle with absolute confidence. Maya watched as Dave nearly fainted when Smackle blew him a sultry kiss, causing Maya to giggle in amusement.

Riley spun the bottle, only to have it land on Charlie Gardener, another boy who had made his love for her known by the whole school. When they returned from the dark room, Riley looked rather content, sitting back down next to Maya. Charlie Gardener, however, was a mess—his hair was ruffled, his shirt unbuttoned, and his lips covered in Riley's red lipstick. Maya was shocked at first to see that Riley had gotten so into the game, but then quickly realized that it was all a ploy to show that she was still standing strong after the infamous breakup with Lucas.

"Your turn, Peaches," Riley said, passing her the green bottle.

Maya sighed and took the bottle, placing it in the center. She took a deep breath, spun the bottle, and shut her eyes. When the heard the bottle rattle to a stop, she heard gasps fill the room. She opened her eyes and saw that it landed on none other than Lucas Friar. She gulped, sitting still.

"Well, you guys gotta do it. Game rules. 7 Minutes in Heaven. Leggo," Clarissa the cheerleader said, forcing Lucas and Maya to get up and go into the dark room. They were shoved inside, the door locking behind them.

"7 minutes, starting now!" Clarissa announced.

Maya was glad she had been intoxicated with a few drinks, otherwise she would've been as red as a tomato. The pair stood awkwardly on opposite sides of the dark room, shifting uncomfortably.

"I guess we should do something," Maya said slowly. "Those are the rules of the game, after all."

"I guess so," Lucas agreed, walking closer to her.

He paused, looking her up and down. "You know, Zay was right earlier. You do look sexy."

"Shut up and kiss me, cowboy, before I change my mind," Maya said.

That must of been the only command Lucas needed, because right after the words escaped her lips, he backed her up against the wall and kissed her.

His hard kiss was better than anything she could've ever imagined, and his soft lips incapsulated hers into a passionate, heated kiss. She didn't know how, but at one point, his tongue slipped into her mouth, exploring every inch of her mouth, before her tongue fought back in a battle for dominance.

Their hands were everywhere. Her hands were entangled in his hair, unbuttoning his shirt, running down his abs, playing with the waistband of his boxers. His hands were holding him steady against the wall, exploring her body, following the curve of her breasts, squeezing her ass.

They had given into their teenage urges—their raging hormones—and had partaken in a ridiculous game.

Little did Maya know, though, that this stupid game would mean so much more.


	2. Lost and Found

**Author's Note: Hey my lovely readers! Thanks for all of your support. I promise the story will get better (as will the writing) as time goes on-I've just been quite distracted lately by some things in my life. I hope you can understand.**

 **As some of you have asked, the reason I write the name of a character as the chapter title is to say who is narrating the story during the chapter. The first and second chapter are both written in Maya's POV, but chapter 3 is in Riley's POV. Later, I'll probably write as Farkle and Lucas, but we'll see how that goes.**

 **Anyway, enjoy the latest chapter and remember to sign petitions to save GMW! xx**

* * *

 **CHAPTER TWO - _MAYA_**

 _You have 10 new messages from Lucas Friar._

Message 1: Hey Maya. We have to talk about Friday night.

Message 2: Please text me back when you get this.

Message 3: Maya, you're not answering your phone. I'm worried. Please call back.

Message 4: Maya, please. This is important.

Message 5: You're killing me, Maya. Talk to me.

Message 6: You can't ignore me forever, Shortstack.

Message 7: Really? Shortstack didn't work? Fuck. Just say anything, please.

Message 8: MAYA PENELOPE CLUTTERBUCKET HART HUNTER

Message 9: Stop being stubborn and talk to me.

Message 10: This isn't fair. Not to you. Or to me. Or to us.

 _You have deleted 10 messages._

* * *

Maya walked up the steps from the Subway to the bustling New York City streets, letting out a half-hearted sigh. She tossed her phone back in her bag carelessly, not wanting to receive anymore texts from the sea-green eyed Texan. He had been bugging her all weekend after the party at Clarissa Morgan's house, where their teenage hormones and alcohol had gotten the best of them.

As far as Maya was concerned, it didn't happen-she wasn't the kind of girl who went after her best friend's ex-boyfriend.

She wouldn't let that happen. Sunshiny Riley would never be able to handle her best friends betraying her, especially now after Lucas and Riley had only just broken up. Maya was certain that it would break her best friend if she found out how heated their makeout had gotten-how much Maya desired to stay in there just a moment longer...

But it was fine for now. Riley didn't know about their little interaction in the locked dark room-no one knew. All everyone knew was that Maya and Lucas had gone into a closet and played Seven Minutes in Heaven, a stupid game that meant nothing. And if Maya had anything to do with it, it would stay that way forever. It would be a secret that Maya would carry on her shoulders for the rest of her life, if she had to.

Her thoughts were interrupted by someone bumping into her, knocking her off her feet, making papers scatter across the hallway floor in front of her locker. Maya pushed her blonde curls out of her face, and was about to yell at the person, when she looked up and realized who it was.

"Shit, Maya!" Missy, arguably the most popular girl in school, said apologetically. "I'm so sorry that I knocked you down. I was just trying to get to Yearbook because there was this emergency because some motherfuc-"

"Missy," Maya cut her off from babbling, picking up the loose papers. "It's fine. I get it."

Missy narrowed her eyes, her eyes staring at Maya, making Maya shift uncomfortably. "No Riley?"

"No Riley," Maya confirmed, straightening out the wrinkles from her pants.

"Why?"

"Please, if I tell you, then the whole school will find out."

"True," Missy admitted. "But I had to try!"

Maya mockingly rolled her eyes. "Goodbye, Missy."

"Wait," Missy interjected, standing up and straightening her skirt. "I'm having a party the last weekend of the month at my beach house. You and your friends-the clique six-should come."

"I'll have to see," Maya replied, stuffing her books into the small locker with a huff.

"Okay, I'm going to leave," Missy said in a sing-song voice. "Fuckboy Friar is coming your way now."

Maya furrowed her eyebrows in confusion as Missy slipped away, turning around to find Lucas's eyes locked on hers. A sudden rush of heat and dread washed through her.

She knew this wouldn't be good, especially in such a public place.

So, she did the only thing she could do: run.

* * *

Miraculously, she managed to go through the rest of the day without seeing Lucas. She figured this had something to do with the fact that she had some Irish blood in her, so perhaps there was a little bit of inherited luck that could save her from this embarrassment and confusion.

But really, it was just a simple art.

She already knew her friends' schedules, and knew where they'd be at all times. She strategically avoided those areas so she wouldn't run into conflict.

Classes that she shared with her friends, she skipped and went to a different class at that time. At lunch, she went to the library, where no one would ever think to go looking for her. During her free periods, she went to tutoring-another place that would never be associated with her name.

She figured that although she might be suffering emotionally, her grades shouldn't suffer along with it-that would be far too depressing for any human being to handle.

It was lonely, but it wasn't unbearable. Yet.

She hoped that things would go back to normal by the end of the month.

Things like this usually died down in her experience.

No one ever stayed with her for that long.

* * *

Four days later, Riley stopped at her house, bearing a gift of donuts.

"Peaches, why are you ignoring us?" the doe-eyed brunette asked, taking Maya's hand.

"Sorry, Riles. I'm just preoccupied," she had replied. "Don't worry."

"With what?" Riley questioned, channeling her inner-Rileytown. "What could take you away from us for a week? We're your friends, Maya. We're always going to be there. _I'm_ always going to be there."

It was then when Maya asked Riley to leave. The guilt was already eating her up inside. She was a terrible, horrible friend. She shouldn't be feeling this way. It wasn't fair to Riley.

It wasn't fair at all.

* * *

Nearly two weeks had passed, and Maya was starting to feel the heavy guilt of ditching her friends on top of the other emotional guilt from the party. It was taking a toll on her. Sometimes, she'd go home and cry without any explanation, leaving Katy and Shawn clueless about their poor child. The two parents would take turns trying to comfort Maya, but would ultimately fail because they'd bring up the subject of Riley, which would trigger another series of sobs.

However, she'd always pull herself together in time for school. She didn't need another rumor flying around about her and Lucas like it did in the eighth grade. Then things would get _really_ complicated.

"Maya? Yoo-hoo? Are you there?" Missy asked, waving her hands in front of Maya's face, waking Maya up from her trance.

"Hm?" Maya answered with a blink, rising from slouch on the lunch table.

Missy laughed and rolled her eyes playfully, taking a bite from her salad. "I asked if you and your friends were going to come to my party. It's in two weeks."

"Uh, I don't know," Maya replied, twiddling her thumbs. "I haven't talked to them in a while, so..."

Missy nodded in understanding. "Well, Hart, I'm going to need you to ask them soon. I need to know how much food I need for the weekend."

"How many people are you expecting?" Maya asked absentmindedly.

"Practically the whole grade-except for the geeks. Maybe a few cool juniors. So, I don't know...maybe 200?"

"200 people?"

"No, 200 cookies...yes 200 people."

"Shit," Maya expressed in disbelief, eyes wide.

"Okay, so since you're obviously not talking to your friends, I will ask them myself," Missy declared, walking away to Maya's old lunch table.

She winced when she saw her same old empty seat next to Riley, as if it was waiting for her.

 _Stupid chair,_ Maya thought before getting up and going to her next class.

* * *

"Alright class, that will be all," Mr. Jackson dismissed the Art Honors students. "Remember that your projects are due next Friday! And for the love of god, please don't bother me with your annoying emails. I intend to have a nice, peaceful weekend without your idiocy."

The students laughed in response, and began filing out of the classroom. Maya stood at the end of the crowd, the last one to exit the art room.

"I expect great things from you, Miss Hart," Mr. Jackson said suddenly, making Maya smile genuinely for the first time since the party.

"Have a good weekend, Mr. Jackson," Maya waved and went out the door.

Maya sighed, checking the time on her phone. 3:40. Normally, she'd be on her way with Riley and the gang to Topanga's for their we-survived-to-the-end-of-the-week celebration. She missed their stupid traditions. She missed her friends...

She walked down the empty hallways to her locker. There wasn't a soul in sight-on Fridays, Abigail Adams students were eagerly out of class and away from the school grounds by 3:30. Even teachers left immediately after their last class. She could safely say that she was one of the only ones left in the building.

She fumbled with the combination lock before finally forcing it open. She took out her jacket and put away the things she didn't need, her backpack instantly feeling lighter. She looked up into the mirror, jumping at watch she saw in the reflection-Lucas Friar stood behind her, patiently waiting to be noticed.

She slammed her locker door shut and tried to quickly leave, but a strong grasp stopped her from slipping away.

"Maya," Lucas said calmly, his voice echoing through the hallway.

Maya could hear the slightest hint of pain in his voice, recognizing it because she too felt the same way, but she wouldn't let him know it.

"What are you doing here, Lucas?" Maya said, trying to force herself to be annoyed and make him leave.

"We need to talk about us," he replied, taking a step closer to her.

"What is there to talk about? It was only a kiss."

"You and I both know damn well that it wasn't just a kiss," his voice raised ever so slightly, making Maya freeze, unsure of what to say. She couldn't lie to him, because it was true. He was right.

She turned to face him, eyes watering, voice cold. "Well, that's all it can ever be. It was just a kiss, as far as we're concerned. It's not fair to Riley-"

"I don't give a damn about Riley right now," Lucas yelled. "I don't give a shit about anyone else right now. But what I do care about is _you and me_. We're the ones that matter right now. This is our life. Not theirs."

Maya shook her head, her stare glued to the floor. She couldn't face him.

"Maya," Lucas rasped, broken, begging. "Please tell me that you feel the same way. I can't stop thinking about that juvenile game or our kiss. I'm losing my fucking mind. So spare me the torture and tell me how you feel..."

Maya looked up at him slowly, her heart aching for him. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him down to her, so she could press her lips to his, engulfing him into a sweet kiss. She parted away from him, slowly opening her eyes to see his stunned expression.

"I feel the same way," she reassured him. "But Riley can never know."

Lucas was about to celebrate, when Maya cut him off.

"That means that _no one_ can know. This is our secret, okay Cowboy?"


End file.
